Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
New York Times Best Seller List, Kirkus Awards, Newbery Honors, best books lists and more are just a few of the awards that Kimberly Brubaker Bradley has earned.
“I was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I loved to read — I was the sort of kid who would skip recess to go talk with my school librarian — but I didn’t know any writers, and I didn’t think it was the sort of job I could have. I loved chemistry, too, and I majored in chemistry in college. I was lucky, though, to go to Smith, a liberal arts school where I was encouraged to learn everything that interested me, and I took lots of writing classes, and, fortunately, a class on children’s literature taught by none other than Newbery medalist Patricia MacLachlan. She and Jane Yolen, who ran a writer’s group nearby, encouraged my very early (and very bad) efforts.
“I married my high-school sweetheart, and he started medical school. For a while I worked as a research chemist and wrote stories late at night and on weekends.But I realized I really wanted to be a writer. By the time I was pregnant with our son I was getting enough freelance and ghostwriting jobs that I could quit being a chemist. A few years later, my husband finished his training to become an eye surgeon, and we moved so he could join a practice in Bristol, Tennessee. I was pregnant with my second child, our daughter, and my first book, ‘Ruthie’s Gift,’ was under contract. It was a pretty exciting time.
“Writing is and always will be my fulltime job. My 19th published book, a biography of scientist Rosalind Franklin, will come out in December, and I’m working on the edits for my 20th. I’ve got more ideas than time to write them all. I do love to travel, and I’m happy to be doing that again now that Covid has eased. I’m most known for writing historical fiction, and I base a lot of that on my travels — the book I’m working on now is set in France, during World War II but with nods back to the 16th century,” she says.
In addition to her writing, she started a non-profit to provide children with access to books.
“I think all of the arts are extremely important — they add beauty and meaning and context to our lives. I get letters from children sometimes telling me how important one of my books was to them, how it made them feel less alone or gave them hope — that’s far more meaningful than formal awards. I started Appalachian Literacy Initiative, because I think it’s absolutely vital for kids to have access to books. When they read well, they’re likely to succeed in life, but they also gain empathy and awareness through shared stories,” Bradley says.
Appalachian Literacy Initiative’s mission is to give children quality books and share a love of reading. Last year, the organization gave out over 10,000 books. Next year the goal is to double that.
Around third grade, schools shift from teaching students to read to teaching other subjects through reading. Eighty-three percent of low-income students do not read at a proficient level by the end of third grade.If they don’t reach proficiency by the end of fourth grade, they are four times more likely than their proficient classmates to drop out of high school.
“Teach a child to read and they will make it through school; give them the love of reading and they will be lifelong students. When students choose their own books, they are five times more likely to read the entire book. They are twice as likely to comprehend it. By giving children books of their own, ALI is helping them read their way to success. Although poverty and functional illiteracy are large obstacles in the Appalachian region, ALI believes that books move mountains,” she says.
The group’s flagship program gives students in enrolled classroom four books per year, of their choice from a booklist, to keep. The group started with fourth grade and has since added third and fifth grades. Every year it increases the number of schools served. The group also helps teachers acquire books for classrooms and sometimes offers mobile book fairs where students can choose books for free.
“It’s lovely to be recognized by my hometown. Bristol is really important to me, and I’m glad the arts thrive here. I’m married to ophthalmologist Bart Bradley, and we have two adult children — both of whom graduated from Tennessee High. My husband and I live on a 52-acre farm with an assortment of horses, a dog, and way too many cats. We love to travel, and I especially love learning about history from all over the world,” she says.
For more information about Bradley, visit kimberlybrubakerbradleycom.wordpress.com. For more information about her non-profit, visit readappalachian.org.
